Kashmir fruit mandis shut work

Fruit mandis across Kashmir observed a strike on Monday to protest against the continued closure of the highway connecting the Valley with the rest of the country as over 5,000 trucks remain stranded on the road.

Fruit traders said they could suffer a loss of around Rs 800-1,000 crore as 90% of the fruit in the trucks is rotten as they are stranded on the road for over ten days now. Traders have called it an ‘economic blockade’ and alleged that the authorities are not utilising the full potential to repair the road and make it functional.

“This is the beginning of the season and we have suffered huge losses. It is impossible to recover these losses, which are in hundreds of crores,” said Muhammad Ashraf of the Traders Association of Sopore in northern Kashmir. On the highway, several fruit traders were seen crying near their trucks which have been stranded for over ten days.


“You can see juice dripping from the trucks as the fruit is now rotten. Our whole earnings are getting wasted on the road. Why can’t they restore the highway despite no rains for a few days now,” said Ghulam Muhammad Bhat of Kulgam, whose trucks are stranded on the highway.

As per the economic survey, the horticulture sector is around Rs 10,000 crore and over 3.5 million people are directly and indirectly dependent on this sector.

The highway was closed for vehicular traffic after the damage caused by heavy rainfall in the last week of August. Fruit traders said 700-1,200 boxes are loaded in each truck which costs around Rs 10-15 lakh for each truck. In Kashmir, several orchards were damaged due to heavy rainfall, flooding and submergence.

Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah urged the government of India to hand over the highway to the Union Territory government stating that the National Highways Authorities of India have not been able to do the job.

“Enough is enough. Everyday these people (highway authorities) keep telling us that the highway will be through soon, but it is not happening. If they can't restore the highway, let them hand it over to us and we will do it immediately,” said Abdullah.

Omar Abdullah said running a train to carry fruit from Kashmir to Delhi isn’t enough, its frequency should be increased. He also spoke to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari about the issue and stated that the concerns would be addressed within 24 hours.

“Around 5,000 to 6,000 trucks which are stranded on the highway can move towards Delhi if they allow one-way traffic from Srinagar to Delhi for the next two days. This is an alarming situation and we need to act swiftly,” said Javed Dar, a minister in Abdullah’s cabinet, who met the truckers on the highway.

Meanwhile, Lieutenant Governor of J&K Manoj Sinha flagged off the first parcel train from Budgam to Delhi to facilitate the transportation of apple produce amid frequent closure of the main highway. Fruit traders welcomed the decision but said the frequency of the trains should be increased.

A delegation of Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers and Dealers Union, led by its chairman Bashir Ahmad Basheer, also met Sinha and expressed their gratitude for the new parcel train and also put forth welfare issues, including smooth movement of fruit-laden trucks on NH-44 and 10-tyre trucks on Mughal Road. The L-G had assured the delegation that appropriate action would be taken.

“Men and machinery have been deployed for complete restoration of the national highway, and the stranded fruit-laden vehicles will be cleared on priority,” Sinha assured the delegation. “Railway freight terminals will be established to facilitate fruit growers and traders from different parts of the valley,” he added.